Sausage-linking machine



J. K. MACOMBER SAUSAGE LINKING MACHINE Filed sept. 25, 1924 4Sheets-Sheet l J. K. M AcoMBER SAUSAGE LINKING MACHINE Filed sept. 25,1924 4 sheets-sheep. 2

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l,674,785 J. K. MAcoMBER SAUSAGE LINKING MACHINE Filed sept. 25. 1924 4sheets-sheet s se 2s?, w28,

J. K. MACOMBER SAUSAGE LINKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25, 1924 4Sheets-Sheet 4 .7k/7765 K. 'Maca/fiber Patented June J26, i928.

JAMES KEITH MACOMBER, OF WEST NEU] YORK, NEW JERSEY.

satisfies-murrine MACHINE.

Application filed September 25, 19241.. Serial No. 739,869.

My invention relates to sausage 'linking machines.

Sausage "linking machines have not been used to any extent Vbymanufacturers for the reason that they have not operated successfullyunder manufacturing conditions.

Practically all sausages are linked by hand and this is naturally .aslow and expensive process. v

The method that is followed in making sausages by hand is` apparentlythe best method that can be devised. By this process, the workman holdsthe stuffed skin or casing7 with both hands, his hands being spaced l5apart. He then compresses the casing between the thumb and fore-fingerof each hand and twirls the segregated portion to form ,a twisted link.

The reason for the failure of many sausage linking machines hasevidently been due to the fact that the method of linking employed bythese machines was not similar to the hand method and they thereforeweremore liable to damage the delicate casing Z5 which holds the sausagemeat. rhese 'machines also have failed Vto employ a hanging mechanism inwhich positive .means are used to prevent the sausages from untwistinguntil they are safely hung and ready lfor the smoking process. l

The primary object of my invention is the provision of'meanswherebysausages maybe quickly, properly and uniformly 'linked and then hung Aina manner convenient for smoking.

A further object is to provide such a machine which will closely .followthe hand process of making. To this end the operation ofthe presentmachine is such that the stuffed casing is held against rotation atspaced points and the ,intermediate ,portion is rotated or twisted.

Another object is to provide ar machine for this purpose which willperform .all the necessary operations mechanically, an operator beingonly .required for the purpose of placing the en'ds of the stuffedcasingsin the feed mechanism `of the machine. y

A stil-l further object is to provide a sausage linking 'machine whichwill include a mechanism to feed the stuffed casings tothe twistingmechanism and wherein 'the feeding mechanism will also compress ordivide the stuffed casings into sausage 'lengths yina novel manner whichminimizes any tendency to rupture the casing.

Another object is .to provide a machine -of this type which will includea fiexible yet positive means to' grasp the sausage links in such amanner as to insure that each sausage is twisted a proper amount and nomore. This grasping mechanism is operated through the motion of thevtwisting cylinder through. a scientific combination of inertia andcentrifugal force so as to automatically grip the sausage to be twistedand t0 release the same after the twisting operation.

A further object is to incorporate in this machine a hanging mechanismequipped with means tor prevent the links from untwisting but at thesame time to allow 'the llinks freedom of motion along their axes toprov-ide for takeup in the casing at the points being twisted. i

Still a further object is to design the feeding and compressingmechanism, the twisting mechanism, and the hanging mechanism so thate'ach will be a vunitary structure and readily capable of use with othermachines. 1n the embodiment shown, however, all .three mechanismsoperate together to form and hang the completed sausage. f

Another object is 'to vdesign the machine and construct it in such avmanner that the means to compress and feed the stuffed casings to thetwisting mechanism and the twisting mechanism itself will beintermittently operated and will be so synchronized that the twomechanisms will .be alternately operated. This will prevent the casings`from being torn by overlapping operations.

Still another object of the invention is to provi-de a form ofintermittent gearing particularly adapted for use in a machine of thistype.

Figure l is a side elevation of the machine, a part of the frame beingbroken away.

Figure 2 is al vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure l.'

Figure 3 is adetail view showing -the feeding and compressing .mechanismof the machine.

Figure 4 isa detail view ofthe vcompressing or 'dividing mechanism ofthe machine.

Figure 5 is a view ofthe hanging mechanism by means of which thesausages are hung on a conveyor when completed.

Figure 6 isa view taken at right angles to Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail view vinside elevation of the twisting mechanismdrivingv gears.

Figure 8 is a detail showing a plan view of the driving gears actuatingthe twisting mechanism.

Figure 9 is a view showing the guide shield through which the stuffedcasings are fed into the machine.

Figure l is a horizontal sectional View of the twisting mechanism withthe top portion of the walls of the twisting chamber or cylinder brokenaway.

Figure l1 isa detail view showing one ofthe grasping members of thetwisting mechanism.

Figure l2 is a vertical sectional view through the twisting' cylinder,and,

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure l2 but showing a sausagebeingtwisted.

` Referring to the drawings, wherein similar numerals indicate likeparts throughout the views, the numeral designates the supporting frame`of the machine and 2l indicates an upstanding end wall. Stub Shafty 22is journaled in the end wall 2l and carries a feeding and compressing ordividing wheel23. The wheel 23 has circumfer- .entially spaceddepressions 24 about its pcriph'ery, these depressions extending almostacross the edge of the wheel. A raised rim 'y into theI twistingmechanism.

25 is thus left at one edge of the periphery Aofthe wheel and shoulders26 are between each depression 24. Conipressing or dividing fingers 27are journaled, in brackets 28 carried at the edge of the feed wheelopposite the rim 25, the brackets being so positioned that a compressinglinger 27 is alined with each shoulder 26. VThe fingers 27 are normallyheld upright by the action of springs 29 as shown in Figure 3. A caniplate 30 is attached to the top of the end wall 21 of the machine andextends over the upperportion of the vfeed whe-e123. When the feed wheel23 is rotated, the lingers 27 will successively strike against the end3l of the camA plate 30 and will be swung down upon their respectiveshoulders 26. In this manner the stuffed sausage casing will begrippedand drawn into the machine and will lalso bedivided off intolengths and fed The fingers 27 are'preferably covered with rubber tubing 32r so that they will not injure the sausage casing. n

Thefeeding and compressing `wheel 23 moves intermittently. l/Vhile it isstationary the twisting mechanism, hereinafter described, moves to twistand link the sausage lengths which have been fed into it by the movement`of the `feeding wheel 23. Three quarters of a` cycle are consumed inthe feeding movement and one quarter in the twisting operation. Thefeeding movement is'thus seen to be the more deliberate of the l two,which is without question the ideal arrangement in the presentembodiment of my invention. y y

The mechanism for intermittently rotating the feed wheel 23 comprises aform of Geneva gearing. The feed wheel 23 has four radial and connectedslots 33 formed on its inner face. A pin 34E eccentrically mounted onthe flywheel 35 moves in these slots to drive'the feed wheell 23.Referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that when the pin 34 is passingabout the upper portion of its orbit it will merely mov-e along one edgeof the connecting space between the slots 33 and there will be no motionof the feed wheel 23. However, when it passes about the lowerrportion ofits orbit it will at the rear of the feeding and compressing wheel 23 toguide the stuffed casing, now compressed for twisting, to the twistingmechanism. In order that the length of stuffed casing may be twisted ateach end vto form it into a sausagel when it is rotated in the twistingmechanism, the lengths of casing without and at either end of thetwisting mechanism must be held against rotation. A means to preventrotation or turning of the length of stuffed casing which has not yetentered the twisting inechanisn'i is carried by the guide pla-te lll. vAbell crank lever 57 is pivoted upon the guide.

plate or trough 41. One end of the bell crank lever carries a clamp 58which is positioned opposite the guide plate 41. ihe other arm ofthe'bell crank 57 carries a roller 59 which bears on a camway 6() fixedto the feed wheel 23. The camway GOhas a plurality of pockets 6l spacedabout its surface. While the feed wheel 23 is moving, the roller 59 willbear upon the raised circular surface 62 vof the camway. The oppositeend 58 will then be held in raised position and `out of the guide trough41. The pockets 61 of the camway 60 are so positioned with respect tothe depressions 24 upon the feed wheel that when a. length of stuffedcasing, compressed or divided (as in* dicated at A, Figure 2) is movedtoa point just above the twisting mechanism 42, hereinafter described,the roller 59 will drop into a pocket 6l. This movement will permit theopposite' end of the bell crank to drop and the `clamp 58 will swingagainst the section A and hold it against rotation. As will behereinafter set forth,the feed wheel 23 will stop at this time and thetwisting mechanism will operate.

rlhe twisting mechanism is a unitary structure and may be used with anytypeof feeding mechanism.

lili-v lila 'lin

refuges As shown in Figures l@ *to 13, inclusive,

Ithe twisting mechanism is encased in and incl-udes a preferablyvertically arranged open-ended cylinder or chamber 42. The cylinder 42is Vrotatably mounted in horizontal -partitions carried by -the frame'2O of the together to grip the stuffed'casing and rotate it and at :thesame time will 'Permit -the stuffed casing to ymove upward-ly `as it istwisted into a sausage. As shown in Figure 11, the gripping plates 44are ypivoted on a horizontal pivot `to a baclrplate 46. This yback-plate46 is in turn ,pivotal-ly connected 'at 8() vto a lever 45 whereby thegripping plate 44 Aand -backplate 46 lmay swing yabout in a verticalplane. The lever` 45 is attached to a weighted arm 47 at the inner endof the latter and may swing in la vertical plane on the horizontalpintle 48 carried by the arm 47. The weighted arms 47 are :pivotallymounted in openings '49 in ythe 'wall-s of the 'cylinder 42 and theirouter 'ends vvcarry weights 50.

The pivotal connection between the gripping plates 44 and the backplates46 includes a spring 5l andthe latter tends to hold vthe lower end ofthe gripping plates or graspers together, as shown in Figure 12. The-sausages move slightly upward as they are twisted v'into links and theswinging connection between ythe backplate 46 and the weighted arms 47through kthe levers 45 pivoted at 48 and 80 is intended to accommodatethis movement. AThe outer ends Lof levers 45 are shouldered, however,Yat L52 so that the graspers 44 will be held yupright and opposite eachother. The vgra-spers are vertically corrugated to insure a secure ygripon the sausage casing and to guide the sausage through the grippingmechanism.

The twisting cylinder has .a gear wheel 53 fixed thereto and whichmeshes with the gear 54 carried on a shaft 55 which is Aintermittentlyoperated by a Geneva -gear arrangement 56 shown in Figure-s 7 and '8.The IGeneva gear '56 is operated `by -a gear connection 81 with theshaft 36. The `-intermittent gearing 33 and 34, whereby the feeding andcompressing mechanism is actuated, is synchronized with the Geneva gear56 of the twisting mechanism to vthe end that the twisting cylinder 42will only rotate when the feed wheel 23 is stationary. Vhile -thetwisting cylinder 42 `is stationary, ythe weighted arms 47 carriedthereby will be in approximately the position `shown in Figure l() Aandthe levers 45 and the graspers 44 will be spread apart at their lupperends. This will permit lengths of stuffed casing to be moved lbetweenthem yby `the action Aof the feed vwheel 23. 'The lower ends will tbe'pres-sed -toward eachother :by the springs V5l which are'uncler-a veryslight tension, only suliicient to guide fthe movement .of the .sectionslof stuffed casi-ng and to prevent the 'links from untwisting after thetwisting operation. When fthe feed wheel 23 stops 4and the =Jtwistingcylinder 42 Lbegins to rewolve, 5the graspers 44 will immediately eX-ert an lappreciable force upon the .section ofstufied casi-ng (indicated.by the letter B') .inthe cylinder. This initial force is practicallyinstantaneous vand is due to the yiinertia of the yweights which givesthem a tendency to :la-g behind. Continued lmovement -fof `the cylinderwill bring an vadded centrifugal lforce :into play, the combination Aofthe interia force land the centrifugal force reaching ia xmaximum duringthe second Aquarterof the complete revolution that .the

cylinder 42 makes. The time of the ,greatest pressure vand the lpressureitself can be varied by va change of the position of the weights 5.0,but experiments have shown that the `greatest resistance to 'twisting:occurs during this second 'quarter of the revolution. During the last`half of the revolution the lpressure between the graspers 44 will bedecreased. 'This is due to the inertia this @time causing a tendency Aofthe weights50 tooyertake the twisting 'cylinder 42 as it slows down.Thus they will assume their normal positions shown in Figure 10 whenythe cylinder '42 stops. The vgraspers 44 will therefore be in openposition and sections of stuiied casing ymay be vmoved vrbetween them bythe feed wheel 23. It wil-fl be seen that this twisting mechanism isy'very efficient. A slight pressure is always exerted between thegraspers 44 by their springs 51. This pressure vis-constant and issufficient to .prevent the graspers from sliding about the stulfedcasing when the cylinder 42 iirst starts to rotate and, as beforementioned, to prevent the link from untwisting a-fter it is twisted.

The pivotal shanging of the graspers 44 which permits them to move lupand down also 'increases the efiiciency of the machine. wWhen twisted,the sausages move upwardly because the twisting Adraws up the skinvcasing between the sections A and By reason of the fact that thegraspers 44 are free to move fupwardly while ythe `cylinder 42 isturning, the casing about the sausages will not `be broken. It is alsoevident that .this type `of twisting 'mechanism will also adapt itselfto any width yof sausage.

Alfter the sausages 'leave the ltwising scylinder 42, they pass throughthe hanging mechanism 68. `This comprises a swinging frame167 on whichare mountedv .two pairs of restraimng elements lwhich allow the sau sagelinks to move freely along 4their axes but which prevent any rotationlof the sau- Apair above the other.

sages after emerging from the twisting cylinder. Several practicalvariations of restraining means have been devised tor this purpose, butthe preferred type shown in Figures 5 and 6 consists ot two pairs ofcorrugated spools vor rollers 65 and 66 suspended on swinging pivotsarranged one The upper pair 65 will bear yagainst the sausage indicatedby the letter` C while the lower pair 66 bears against the sausage inposition D. Bothv sausages will thus be held against rotation, thesausage D being prevented from twisting and the sausage C being heldagainst rotation while the section B of stuffed casing in the twistingcylinder is being rotated.

The hanging mechanism 68 is actuated by a rod 69pivoted to a crank 70.`y Crank 7() is geared to the shai't 55 by gears 7l and is thereforeintermittently moved when the twistingvcylinder 42 is moved. The hangingmechanism 68 is swung from side to side by crank 7'() and the sausagesleaving the machine will thereby be alternately dropped two at a timeupon either side ot a conveyory belt '72. Conveyor 72 is moved on pulley73 by a sprocket wheel 74 rotated by the shait 36. j i

In operating l the machine, lengths oi' .stutl'ed skins or casings willbe ted to the feed wheel 23 through the guide shield 75 by an operator.As the feed wheel rotates, the casing will be gripped by the fingers 27and will be drawn into lthe machine. The 'lingers 27 will alsodivide'the meat within the casing into sausage lengths as the l'eedwheel 23 rotates. l'The ratio and. arrange ment oi' the gearing by whichthe feed wheel L3 is moved is preferably such thatl when the teed wheel23 moves it will release and leed oil' two lengths of compressed casingfor each operation. The lirst oi these lengths C will be passed throughthe twisting cylinder 42.y The second length B will stop between `thelgraspers 4.4 in the twisting the succeeding movement of the feed wheel23, feeding out two sections of stulifedcasing, -w'ill move the sectionof casing in the twisting c ylinder 42 to position D, while that at Awill move to position C. The new section of stuled casing in the.position .B (in the twisting cylinder 42) will be rotated as explainedand the customary twisted joints one extreme position to the otherbyaction oi' thecrank 70. yIt remains stationary q in the displacedposition during the succeeding movement or the feed wheel 23 and twolinks of sausage are moved down on one side of the conveyor belt 72.rlrlie hanging mechanism swings to its other position during the nextoperation oi the twisting cylinder and two links are ted onto the otherside ol' the conveyor during the nentr following movement oi the eedwheel. The twisted sausages are thus hung on the moving conveyor in themanner shown in Figure 2. The sausages are lifted from the conveyor belti 2 on the regulation smoke stick or some other suitable contrivance andare then put through the smoking processwhich relieves any remaininguntwisting tendency at the joints.

I claim: j

l. A sausage linking machine comprising means to rotate a section of astuffed sausage casing and means at either `end oit said firstnamedmeans to grip the adjacent sections of the casing' at a point adjacentthe middle of the section to hold said sections against rotation. j t p2. A sausage linking machine comprising means to rotate a section or' astuffed sausage casing, means at either end ot' said firstnamed means togrip the adjacent sections of the casing at a point adjacent the middleof the section tohold said sections against rotation and means to teedthesections of stuffed casing through said rotating means.

3. A sausage linking machine including a rotatable member, means withinsaid member to normally engage a length of stuffed casing, whereby itwillV be held against untwisting and means to increase the grip of saidmeans when the rotatable member turns.

4. rlhecombination in a sausage linking machine, ot a rotatable member,means carried by said rotatable member to engage a section of stuffedcasing whereby it will be held against untwisting rotation,centrifugally actuated means connected to said firstnamed means wherebysaid means will be moved to firmly grip the sectiontof stuiled casingand rotate the same when the rotatable member is turned. Y

5. The combination in a sausage linking machine. including a rotatablemember adapted to twist a. section of stuffed casing, of jaws carried bySaid member and adapted to be moved together to grasp the section ofcasing and rotate it with the twisting member, said aws being movablelongitudinally of the casing to accommodate shrinkage.

6. The combination in a sausage linking machine including a rotatablemember adapted to feed lengt-hs of stuffed casing to the twistingmechanism of the machine, of circumferentially spaced and normallyupstanding fingers pivoted upon oneedge of said feed member and means toturn said fingers down upon said member to grip the stuffed casing anddivide it into sausage lengths.

7 The combination in a sausage linking machine including a memberadapted to feed lengths of stuffed casing to the twisting mechanism ofthe machine, of .spaced pivoted fingers carried by said member, the freeends of said fingers beingnormally spaced from said member and mea-ns tomove the free ends of said lingers into engagement with said member togrip the stuffed casing and divide it into sausage lengths.

8. The combination in a sausage linking machine including a rotatingmember adapted to feed lengths of stuffed casing to the twistingmechanism of the machine, of circumferentially spaced fingers pivoted tosaid rotating member, the active edges of said fingers normally beingheld separated from said rotating feed member, and means to bring saidfingers into engagement with said feed member to grip the stuffed casingand divide it into sausage lengths.

9. The combination with a sausage linking machine including feedingmechanism and actuating means therefor, of a hanging mechanism for thelinked sausages comprising a conveyor belt, a swinging frame pivotallysupported above said belt, pivotally hung corrugated rollers carried insaid frame through which the sausages are adapted to be fed, actuatingmeans to swing said frame ertia when said twisting member ceasesrotation.

11. A sausage linking machine including an intermittently rotatingtwisting member, gripping members pivotally carried by said twistingmember and provided with weights at their outer ends, said twistingmembers being moved together to grip a section of stuffed casing bycentrifugal force when said twisting member is rotated and being movedapart by the inertia of the weights when the twisting member ceasesrotation.

JAMES KEITH MACOMBER.

